Self-Guided Tours and Campus Way-Finding

Campus ‘way-finding’ refers to the process of helping individuals navigate and find their way around campus, providing clear and concise directions, signs, maps, and other tools to assist people in locating specific buildings, facilities, departments, or points of interest within the campus environment.

The campus at BCC currently has two campus maps placed at the beginning of the path leading from the student parking area and along the path leading from the faculty parking lot. This plan incorporates the use of informative maps and information kiosks, one placed where the student parking area map is now located, and another at the main entrance of the public garden. Within these kiosks, maps would include clear graphics of the walkways through campus, the paths throughout the various gardens, and the walking trails through the meadows and forested areas. Space in the kiosks could also serve as school or community posting boards for students, faculty and staff to share information about upcoming events, post important notices, or relate other information to the public.

In addition to the trailhead kiosks, the strategic placement of numerous signs along the walkways, paths, and trails would highlight various information of the section of the path that might be of interest to students and visitors alike. These kiosk maps and pathway signs could work together to offer a selfguided walking tour through the campus and could share information about the specific areas where they are positioned.

The design of these kiosks and accompanying path signs could take an aesthetic form that relates well to the existing architecture of the campus structures and other elements and could compliment the collection of public art currently placed around the campus.

QR Coded Plant Labels

The purpose of QR code plant signage is to enhance the visitor's experience by offering convenient smartphone access to detailed information about the plants and their environment. Users can access a wealth of knowledge in a digital format, often with multimedia elements like images, videos, or audio recordings. Signs or labels with QR codes are strategically placed near individual plants or in designated areas of a public garden. Each sign contains a unique QR code that corresponds to a specific plant or plant category. When a visitor scans the QR code using their smartphone camera, the smartphone is instantly redirected to a designated webpage or digital content associated with the plant. Visitors can then access a range of information about the plant, such as its common and scientific names, description, habitat, care tips, and related facts. This information is compiled by the person who set up the QR code generator and can include any digital information.

Benefits of using QR code signage as a self-guided walking tour for visitors include detailed information sharing, minimal visual disruption of larger plant signs, and real-time updates. Information about plants can change over time, and new insights or research may become available. QR code plant signage allows for the information to be updated as needed, ensuring accuracy

QR codes can also be used to gather data on visitor engagement and interests. By analyzing the usage patterns and the content accessed through the QR codes, public gardens can gain insights into visitor preferences, popular plants, and areas of interest, enabling them to adapt and improve their exhibits and educational programs.

Finally, the use of QR codes as informational tools in public or educational gardens is an eco-friendly approach with less environmental impact for plant and garden signage. Rather than printing and updating physical signage for every plant, QR code plant signage reduces the waste of paper and other standard sign materials due to the ability to update digitally or even reuse QR signage for different purposes. It promotes a more sustainable approach to providing information to visitors.

The campus of Smith College in Northampton, MA offers QR code plant labels for visitors and students to identify and gain information on certain plants.

Using a smartphone QR code reader on the image above will lead you to a database of information on a particular tree at Smith College.